|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 29 August 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Siddi Lebbe : The sage leader of the Muslim community June 11th 1838 is the 166th birth anniversary of Mohammado Cassim Siddi Lebbe, lawyer, educationist, scholar, philosopher, seer, writer, publisher, social reformer and visionary.
He was a member of the Kandy Municipal Council representing Ward No. 4 for eight years. He also acted as Municipal Magistrate for four years. Siddi Lebbe felt that the Muslims should be aroused to realise their sorry state. They were educationally backward, economically stagnant, culturally isolated, religiously obscurantist, intellectually sterile and politically insignificant. This he sought to achieve through the Arabic-Tamil weekly, he founded to which he gave the name 'Muslim Naisen'. In 1884 he pioneered the first Anglo-Mohamedan School at Colombo with the assistance of Orabi Pasha - the Egyptian exile who was a freedom fighter and the aid and affection of Wapchie Marikkar - grandfather of Sir Razik Fareed - who was a builder, architect, educationist and philanthropist. Eight years later, this school was renamed Al Madrasatuz Zahira, the present Zahira College. Siddi Lebbe was a Tamil an Arabic scholar. In his view, the Muslims had been misled by the local and Indian Alims. He criticised their explanation of Islamic teachings and the Ulamas issued Fatwas of Kufr - infidelity - not only during his life-time but also after his death. Many of the Muslim Schools founded by Siddi Lebbe in Kandy, Kegalle, Udunuwara, Nuwara Eliya, Hatton, Kurunegala and Badulla were managed and financed by him. He even printed school books and distributed them free to pupils. Although he was a rich man, at the time of his death, he had either sold or mortgaged the major part of his properties in order to finance his schools. He started the First Muslim Girl's School in Kandy where his sister was the Head Teacher. In brief, what the Venerable Anagarika Dharmapala and Col. Olcott have done to the Buddhists, and what Arumuga Navalar has done to the Hindus, the great Siddi Lebbe has done to the Muslims of Ceylon. It was mainly due to his agitation that M. C. Abdul Rahuman was appointed as the first Muslim member to the Legislative Council. People seldom recognise the merits of an outstanding person in his own life-time. Signal services rendered by such a personality for the common good of this country remain unsung until reminded. The late M. C. Siddi Lebbe who was the father of Muslim education in Ceylon, a dynamic social worker and one who sacrificed everything he possessed to uplift the Muslim Community culturally, suffered the same fate. Pulsating enthusiasm which prompted him to make positive contributions to the country as a whole, were not recognised in his days, but the dawn of this century gradually changed our outlook and sense of values, mainly due to spread of education, culminating in the attainment of Independence in 1948. After his death on 5.2.1898 the entire Muslim population has paid homage to the inspiring life and work of the late Siddi Lebbe as one of the greatest sons of Lanka. It is due to these factors, that the Central Government included the name of C. Siddi Lebbe in the list of National Heroes. In addition on Rs. 1 Stamp was issued on June 11, 1977. In 1966, the Central Province Moors' Association, 84 D. S. Senanayake Vidiya, Kandy submitted a memorandum requesting the Kandy Municipal Council to change Lady Gorden's Drive upto Odeon Theatre Junction to Siddi Lebbe Mawatha. The Motion was proposed by the late A. A. Dharmasena and seconded by Ismail Quddus. The change took place on 29.12.1966. The Central Province Moors' Association in 1966 submitted another memorandum to the Education Department to change the name Osmania Maha Vidyalaya to Siddi Lebbe Maha Vidyalaya. This request was granted. This school was started by Siddi Lebbe and the head teacher was his sister. Through Siddi Lebbe's writings, we are able even to this distant date, to have a glimpse of his character and capacity, his pious spirit and his penetrating intellect, and to conclude that the clever diagnosis he made of the grave ills afflicting his people remains as sound now as it was then; the remedy he wisely prescribed still continues to be equally efficacious, though with a slight change in diet and dosage - indicative of Siddi Lebbe's pioneering ability and sage leadership. M. P. M. Saheed |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Born in Kandy to a family where intellectual and religious pursuits
were encouraged, he was determined to follow his father M. L. Siddi
Lebbe's footsteps. The senior Lebbe was one of the 1st Ceylonese proctors,
and was the Head Moorman of the district in 1833. M.C. Siddi Lebbe became
a proctor in 1862 at the age of 24. He practised in the District Court of
Kandy as well as the Supreme Court.
